


Warmth

by clotpoleofthelord (plantainleaf)



Category: Supernatural
Genre: M/M, Purgatory, Wingfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-16
Updated: 2013-04-16
Packaged: 2017-12-08 16:03:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/763296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plantainleaf/pseuds/clotpoleofthelord
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's cold in Purgatory.</p><p>It's not the bone deep chill of Minnesota in January, or the freezing rain of New York in the November. No, Purgatory is just a ten-degrees-below-comfortable breeze that never stops.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Warmth

It's cold in Purgatory.

It's not the bone deep chill of Minnesota in January, or the freezing rain of New York in the November. No, Purgatory is just a ten-degrees-below-comfortable breeze that never stops.

It's not cold enough for Dean to notice when he arrives. He's immediately set upon by Leviathan and runs hot with the pumping of blood, sweat and adrenaline. But later the cold settles into his bones, becomes a close companion as he searches.

Benny is cold but has flashes of warmth. It's been so long since he fed that his body is always slightly cool, denied of the human blood that would replace that which he lost when he was turned. But Benny still seemed somehow human, full of warmth and friendly smiles.

Dean clings to that friendliness, to the small island of civility and humanity that the vampire provides. He would laugh at the irony if there were ever a moment when he wasn't too cold and too tired.

Sleep is the hardest part of Purgatory. In the rare moments between attacks, when they have their backs to a wall, when what passes for a sun seems more down than up, and when Benny can keep watch for a few hours, Dean wraps himself in his ragged jacket and tries to give in to the exhaustion that haunts him. But that constant chilling breeze keeps him on edge whenever he tries to rest. He's lucky if he manages an hour at a time before he shivers himself awake once again.

When they reach the stream and Dean catches his first glimpse of Castiel in what seems like a lifetime, he forgets the cold for the first time since he arrived in Purgatory. His blood warms, sending a tingle through long-numb extremities, and he strides forward to greet his angel.

Wrapping his arms around Cas, Dean forgets for a moment that he's trapped in a realm full of monsters out for his blood. For just a moment, all that matters is him and Castiel, reunited.

Cas is warmth and light. When Dean holds him in his arms by the stream, his muscles melt into relaxation as the angel's heat suffuses his body. He feels human for the first time in longer than he would have liked to admit. As he buries his face in the warmth of Cas' neck and smells the all-too-human scents of fear and dirt along with the sweet smell of angel, the struggles of Purgatory take a step back in his mind.

That night as they settle into a makeshift camp Cas sits silently and watches the other two men (or one man and one monster) fall into a well-practiced routine of campsite organization and reconnaissance. Leaning against a tree, Cas' eyes fix on Dean as he piles leaves against the outcropping of rock that does little to block the wind that brings tendrils of frigid air into their rough camp.

When Benny steps away to do a circuit of the camp, checking for signs that they were safe to rest uninterrupted, Dean walks to Cas and slides down the rock to sit beside him.

"You okay, Cas?"

Cas' brow creases, lost in thought, and he stares ahead, unseeing.

"Cas, buddy, you're freaking me out."

Cas starts, looking up suddenly. "Dean." His face is cloudy.

"What's up, dude?"

"I- " Cas sighed. "I don't want to talk about it."

Dean knows he should push it, should figure out what's going on with the angel, but he's cold and tired and all he can think of is getting an hour or two of sleep before the group has to move on.

Castiel still watches him, something Dean can't define in his eyes. "Sleep, Dean. I will watch over you."

Dean lies down, near the angel but not too close. He can just barely feel the heat that radiates off Castiel's legs where they lay splayed out before him. "That's still weird, but..." He rolls so he faces Castiel and closes his eyes, already drifting off, lulled by the slight relief from the chill of Purgatory. "Thanks, Cas."

A warm hand falls onto his shoulder. "Always."

\----

Dean is dreaming. Or at least, he knows he must be. He's warm, cozy, and wrapped in what feels like a large down comforter. He shifts slightly, rolling towards the warmth, and opens his eyes when he encounters a solid shape.

Wide blue eyes greet him, blinking, and he spends a moment lost in their depths. Then he breaks away, pulling at the invisible fluffy warmth wrapped around him.

"Cas, what- are those your wings?"

"You were cold, and are developing a slight sinus infection as a result. I didn't want it to develop further. And your shivers would have wakened you two hours ago had I not wrapped you in my wings." The angel's tone is slightly defensive.

Dean doesn't really have a good response to that. And he is really, really comfortable. For the first time in weeks he feels rested, relaxed and warm, and for a moment his pride rears its head but it is swiftly defeated by his comfort.

Sighing, he relaxes back against the angel. "I can't believe I'm being snuggled by a fucking angel of the lord," he mutters, mostly to himself. The wings tighten around him as the angel lets out a quiet chuckle.

"Is this like the pizzaman and the babysitter?"

"Hm?" Dean is already dozing back into the feathery embrace.

"One of those things that 'dudes'," Dean can almost feel the air quotes, "don't talk about?"

Dean feels a laugh escape him as he drifts off once again. "Yeah, Cas. Let's go with that."

The feathers wrap around him even more closely.

"Night, Cas."

"Goodnight, Dean."

**Author's Note:**

> Huge thank you to cliffnotesofanerd (xaandria) for an AWESOME beta job!


End file.
